Theatre of the Condemned

Classical Tragedy on Greek Prison Islands

Gonda Van Steen

Description

Gonda Van Steen examines the productions of classical tragedies staged by political prisoners of the Greek Civil War (late 1940s to 1950s). She first explains the historical and political context in which these productions originated, the selections made by the prisoners, and the practical conditions under which the performances were mounted, devoting attention, too, to the prison authorities' acts of censorship. Her main focus, however, is on the interpretation that the political detainees gave to their productions and the rationale behind specific readings. The book includes the text of an adaptation of Antigone , in the original Greek and in English translation, written by Aris Alexandrou, one of the prisoners.

Theatre of the Condemned

Classical Tragedy on Greek Prison Islands

Gonda Van Steen

Table of Contents

Introduction: Collectivity within the Confines of an Island1. Selections, Occasions, Origins, and Objectives2. Makronisos: Island of the `Greek Inventors of Barbarian Evils'3. Female Prisoners Learning (in) Defiance: What's Playing on Trikeri?4. The Prison and the Past as Theatre: Aeschylus `Persians' on Ai Stratis, September 19515. `Suspect Always Like the Truth': The `Antigone' of Aris Alexandrou6. Alexandrou's `Antigone' (Greek text and English translation)Conclusion

Author Information

Theatre of the Condemned

Classical Tragedy on Greek Prison Islands

Gonda Van Steen

Reviews and Awards

"Gonda Van Steen in this book sheds light on an important period in the recent history of Greece and in particular the part of Classical Greek Tragedy in it. Theatre of the Condemned contains scrupulous scholarship, sophisticated analysis and a huge amount of new material. Everyone who works on the reception of Greek drama should read it."--Betine van Zyl Smit, Classical Journal